Florida State showed no signs of a letdown. Coming off an emotional upset of then-No. 14 Alabama in the season opener, the Seminoles followed it up with a complete dismantling of East Texas A&M on Saturday night.
Tommy Castellanos passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Duce Robinson, as No. 14 Florida State throttled the Lions 77-3. The Seminoles (2-0) scored touchdowns on their first 10 possessions, posting their most points in the Mike Norvell era and tying their most lopsided victory under the head coach.
The Boston College transfer engineered six straight touchdown drives to open the game. Castellanos completed 18 of 20 passes and showed poise and precision in a balanced attack that produced both explosive plays and sustained drives.
Robinson, the Southern Cal transfer, was his top target. The sophomore receiver delivered a record-breaking opening quarter with 160 yards on four catches, the most by a Florida State player in a single quarter in program history. He finished with five receptions for 173 yards, highlighted by a spectacular one-handed grab for a score.
Gavin Sawchuk, another transfer addition from Oklahoma, added a dynamic dimension. Sawchuk scored three touchdowns — two short rushing plunges and a 53-yard catch-and-run on fourth down for his first career receiving TD. He led a rushing attack that churned out 361 yards at 7.1 yards per carry.
Freshman backup quarterback Kevin Sperry got extended action in the second half and made the most of it, tossing two touchdown passes. One went to freshman tight end/defensive end Amaree Williams, who followed up his 35-yard scoring catch with his first career sack minutes later.
Florida State’s defense gave its offense plenty of short fields. Earl Little Jr. and Jerry Wilson each had first-half interceptions that led to Seminoles touchdowns. The defense held East Texas A&M (0-2) to just 2.9 yards per carry and forced seven punts.
The night carried added emotion. The Seminoles honored freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard, who was shot last Sunday in Havana, Fla., and remains in critical but stable condition. Players wore sweatbands with his No. 35, and Little Jr. carried Pritchard’s jersey to midfield for the coin toss.
“It was important that we played for him tonight,” Norvell said. “Our guys wanted to honor Ethan with the way we competed.”
Six passing touchdowns marked Florida State’s most in a game since 2011. The Seminoles were on pace to eclipse the program’s scoring record of 80 points before slowing in the fourth quarter. Robinson’s 160 first-quarter receiving yards set a school record.
With this rout, Florida State is likely to climb into the Top 10 in next week’s AP poll. With back-to-back dominant wins — including one over Alabama — have the Seminoles firmly back in the national conversation.
Florida State: Bye week before hosting Kent State on Sept. 20. East Texas A&M: Bye week before visiting Grambling on Sept. 20.
Florida State flexed its depth and explosiveness on both sides of the ball. The Seminoles proved their Alabama win was no fluke, while East Texas A&M never found footing against an opponent firing on all cylinders.
